MAHASHIVRATRI- 2016
Wishing everyone in this Universe, a very very Happy and blessed Mahashivratri. May the Lord of the Lords,Mahadev,fulfill everyone’s clear intentions and bless everyone with abundance of Happiness,Joy,and Love.
This is one of the most important and life transforming Day of my life,as this is the day, when I was blessed with the Divine Hand of my Sadguru “Paramguru Sri Sri Mahavtar Babaji” on my head and my Spiritual journey, from nothing to everything, from ignorance to wisdom, to the ultimate Brahmagyan started, and it was again on this same Mahashivratri day, that I was sent back to the worldly life by my Reverred Sadguru, to spread the pious path of Kriyayoga, for the benefit of the mankind. Hence I carry a lot of emotional and happy memories attached to this specific day,when I was taken on the pious journey to achieve the ultimate, and it is on this same pious day that I was sent back by my Sadguruji,after having achieved the ultimate bramhagyan.
My humble Salutations to my Most Reverred Sadguru, who is everything to me.My Sadguru is my Lord Shiva, the Adiguru and it is to him that I dedicate all my actions and the fruits of my Actions.
Everybody knows the mythological story of Mahashivratri, so I would not be dwelling much upon it.
What I wish to touch upon, for everyone who reads this blog, is how to take the maximum advantage of such highly auspicious days for the benefit of ones all round progression and ascension.
On the pious Mahashivratri day, the Vibratory field of the planet earth is closest to the cosmic vibrations, hence any rituals or sadhana done on this day,yields the highest merit and fastest progression on the spiritual path of every earnest seeker. Devotees keep chanting the Shiv Panchakshari Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” throughout the day, this mantra is said to be one of the most powerful and highly effective mantra.so let us understand the scientific meaning of the same.
The mantra’s mystical or more esoteric meaning is multi-leveled and quite complex. Om Namah Shivaya is a panchakshari mantra, meaning it’s made up of five syllables or literally the five holy letters (na – mah – shi – vaa – ya). It is preceeded by Om or Aum, which is said to be the sacred primordial sound. The five holy vowels are the seed sounds of the five elements of creation—earth, water, fire, air, and ether—and as one chants it, one is working through the process of creation in reverse, hence perhaps the mantra’s reputed power of destroying,manifestations of sin and imperfections.
So on this pious mahashivratri day,when devotees fast from morning to night and keep chanting the powerful “Om namah Shivaya” mantra, their body and mind is getting purified very fast, and the on going abundance of cosmic vibrations, catapults a true seeker, very high and fast on the spiritual plane.
The real test of Mahashivratri sadhana, lies after the mahashivratri is over and the balance 364 days of the year are to be spent with, integrity,honesty and righteousness, this is in essence the real test from Lord Shiva, because, Lord Shiva is in the most benevolent mood on the holy Mahashivratri day, so he grants wishes of all the devotees, who pray to him, with a pure heart and devotion to him, thereby fulfilling all their wishes. It’s after this day, that the real test begins, as one starts interacting with the second living being in the society, with the same old ways,thereby building up more karmas, and then again, wait for one more year of mahashivratri to come and again undergo this whole process of self purification and inner transformation, so that the seeker can evolve and grow on the spiritual path.
In Kriyayoga, I teach my disciples, the value of each and everything,starting from their breathe, that they already have within them and in their immeadiate surroundings, that can easily propel them to much greater heights in their life, both material and spiritual planes, if channelised properly,thereby enabling them to achieve the state of enlightenment.
The holy path of Kriyayoga, since the origin,has always followed the pious Guru-Shishya Parampara, and the first Kriyayoga Diksha given in this holy lineage of Kriyayoga, was by Lord Shiva to Maa Parvati.This lineage has only evolved since the origin of creation,by the creator, and till date the teachings are the same,just that the people,surroundings,places have changed.The science of Kriyayoga has weathered all challenges,but stayed and emerged Stronger each time, the negativity has risen to cause the cosmic deluge. And in the words of My “Sadguru Sri Sri Mahavtar Babaji”, kriyayoga will be the binding and uniting force for mankind to emerge victorious from the throes of negativity.
Just like during the amrutmanthan, when poison had emerged and was going to destroy life on earth forever, Lord Shiva drank the posion but controlled the descent of the poison below the neck, thereby locking it in his neck,and being known as Neelkanth. The same way, through the pious teachings of Kriyayoga, a sadhak can always control the effect of the poison that he/she encounters in the society,by training the mind,through systematic and scientific techniques of Kriyayoga, thereby not getting affected by the poison around, and in turn spreading the positive force of nectar,the Cosmic Love Energy,wherever they go.
On this Pious Mahashivratri day, I bless all earnest seekers and devotees of the Greatest Yogi,Lord Shiva, that,may all your clear intentions manifest for the highest good of self and the Universe, and may all of mankind progress towards their spiritual goal with great speed and consistency. May the dark forces that have created turbulences in the universe be destroyed by the Positive force of “Unconditional Love and Unconditional Forgiveness” and may truth, righteousness and harmony prevail all over the universe.
Har Har Mahadev
Om Namah Shivaya
Love& Blessings
#SadguruMangeshda

Let’s understand the true meaning of this wonderful festival, so as to illuminate our lives with the true essence of Love& Light.

Diwali: the festival of Lights

Diwali, comes from the Sanskrit word Deepavali which literally means “Row of Lights.” It historically symbolizes the victory of good over evil and celebrates light and life on both spiritual and personal levels. Diwali is a time to turn inward and light the lamps of knowledge and truth in your hearts and minds so that you can dispel the forces of darkness and ignorance within you and allow your innate brilliance and goodness to shine forth. Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is the principle deity associated with this festival. During Diwali we ask her for assistance in cultivating and accumulating spiritual wealth, such as compassion, forgiveness, and loving kindness. Diwali is a time to reflect on and evaluate your thoughts, words, and actions over the past year. It’s a time to acknowledge and better understand ones prejudices, negative behaviors, and bad habits so that one may begin the process of transforming oneself. It is a time to discover how we can be more loving, kind, respectful, and skillful towards ourselves and others. And since all wealth, be it material or spiritual, should be shared with others who are less fortunate, Diwali is also a time to reflect on the various ways you can assist others and shine your light out into the world. On Deepavali day, we light numerous lamps with one candle. The light with which other lamps are lit is a Symbol of the Divine. The other lamps are jivanjyothis. They derive their light from the One Supreme Light.

Spiritual Significance:

From darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from unhappiness into bliss, this, indeed, is the true and deep message that the festival of Diwali brings every year with its joyous celebrations. Diwali is heralded as one of the most significant festivals in Hinduism and is celebrated across India and the world. Diwali is not just about outer illumination, but it promotes the awareness of the inner light that is the core of every human being. Diwali is the celebration of the realization of this inner light, which has the power to show one the path of righteousness even at the darkest of the times. The awakening to one’s true self, introduces one to immense peace, universal compassion, love, and awareness of oneness of all things (Cosmic knowledge).When we reflect back on our mythology about Deepavali, we find that it is a joyous festival to celebrate the destruction of the demon Narakasur by Lord Shri Krishna. It is only when we first understand the meaning of the Krishna Consciousness, that we will be able to understand the significance of the Naraka principle (the demonic Virtues). Krishna is the embodiment of the Five Elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth. He is also the embodiment of five pranas- apaan, samaan,pran, vyaan, udaan, When we recognize that the Divine is imminent in the five elements, we will realize that there is no place in the cosmos where these five are not present. The human body is composed of the five elements, and can affect only the body but cannot affect the soul in any way. When these 5 pranas merge together into one breathe, Kundalini awakens and rises in the sushumna, and the sadhak experiences enlightenment. Another significance is the return of Lord Rama back to Ayodhya city after His exile. The Ramayan describes, how when Lord Rama was exiled due to the misdirected intrigues of Kaikayi, Ayodhya became almost like a ghost city. All its citizens were plunged into an ocean of separation and sorrow for fourteen agonizingly long years. When Lord Rama finally returned, their heart’s innermost longing was finally fulfilled. They spontaneously celebrated this joyous reunion of divine love by illuminating their houses. This event has immense relevance to our lives. Ayodhya is our heart and Lord Rama is the Lord of our heart, the supreme object of love and devotion for all of us. Due to rising negativity, humans too have exiled the Lord from their hearts. Just as Ayodhya became a ghost town when Lord Rama departed, human hearts too has become infested with negative and often self-destructive feelings like anxiety, depression, stress, prejudice, envy, anger & hatred. And, just like the citizens of Ayodhya, human lives too have become filled with emptiness and lamentation. Lord Rama answers in the Ramayan through His instructions, which inform us of our actual identity & purpose. We are all eternal spiritual beings, belonging to the kingdom of God, where we eternally enthrone the Lord as the king of our hearts and rejoice in selfless loving exchanges with Him. When we exile the Lord from our hearts, we exile ourselves from that world of endless love and come to this mortal world, where we misidentify ourselves with temporary material bodies. Covered by spiritual amnesia, we play illusionary roles and pursue illusionary goals, but get only disappointment and distress. Though we exile and forget the Lord, He never forgets us and never actually leaves our heart. He just blinds our vision and continues to accompany and guide us throughout all our adventures & misadventures in this world, eagerly waiting& inviting us back to His loving shelter. By cultivating knowledge about the Lord and his love for us and reviving our dormant love for him, by chanting his holy names, we can invite him back to our hearts.

Diwali Celebrations & Invoking the blessings of Goddess Mahalakshmi

Diwali celebrations start much before the actual occasion, people spend a lot of time and energy cleaning and sweeping their homes and their environment and buy new items for their house to make their homes and environment more attractive. I consider this to be partial cleaning and beautification. What about your thought process? When was the last time you cleaned out your heart? When did you last empty all the dirt and garbage that has accumulated throughout your lives? Cleaning and purifying your mind and heart from the inside, is the true meaning of “Celebration”. You must clean your hearts, ridding them of all grudge, bitterness& negativity. God sees and knows all. He knows what is behind every wall of our hearts, what is swept into every corner, and what is hidden under every rug. When the heart is clean and pure, the goddess of wealth happily and readily fulfills all your wishes. On the pious occasion of laxmi poojan, pray to the goddess of Wealth and prosperity to bestow, you with abundance of Spiritual wealth, wisdom and prosperity. This is the real long-lasting wealth, material wealth lasts only for a short lifetime, but your spiritual wealth will last forever, and may continue birth after birth.

On this pious Occasion of Diwali, I once again bless each and every one of you to illumine your hearts and be the source of light and happiness, for everyone who comes in contact with you. You be the change that you wish to see in the world. Love unconditionally, forgive unconditionally, and be in alignment to receive the cosmic abundance of LOVE, LIGHT& HAPPINESS.

Love the universe, celebrate Diwali with a pure heart and try to connect with the Krishna consciousness, Pray & invoke the blessings of the goddess of prosperity and wealth, to seek your ultimate spiritual wealth. Make your life more meaningful, and celebrate the festival of Lights with more fervor, from the antaraang. Don’t get blinded by the rituals, understand the deeper meaning and purpose of the festival and transform yourself on a positive level to lead an enriched and wholesome life.

Wishing everyone in this a very happy, prosperous & blessed Navratri. This is a very vibrant and joyous time of the year, where the supreme mother, Goddess Durga (Shakti), is invoked and prayed throughout the nine days for various attainments, both at materialistic and spiritual level.

Since the feminine energy is considered to be equally divine and nurturing, and absorbing of all the good & bad qualities of the child, I feel it is important to understand the scientific co-relation of the Feminine Energy with the Nine forms of the supreme mother& celebrate the festival in the true essence. This will essentially, give a refreshed outlook to each one’s views towards the Shakti form of energy. This will hopefuevelop a deep and compassionate sense of,attitude of gratitude, towards the feminine energy, which is taken for granted, most of the times.

What is the Meaning of Navratri?

Navratri symbolizes victory of positivity over negativity, Navratri literally means “Nine nights” in Sanskrit; Nav – Nine and Ratri – nights. During these nine nights and ten days, the three forms of the Divine Mother are worshipped and invoked -Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi.

Why 9 nights or Navratri?

The first 3 days are of DURGA denoting Tamasik gunas

First 3 days: The goddess is separated as a spiritual force called Durga also known as Kali in order to destroy all evil and grant boons.

Second 3 days are of LAKSHMI symbolizing rajasic gunas

Second 3 days: The Mother is adored as a giver of spiritual wealth, Lakshmi, who is considered to have the power of bestowing on her devotees inexhaustible wealth, as she is the goddess of wealth.

The last 3 days are dedicated to SARASWATI signifying satvic gunas

The Last 3 days: is spent in worshiping the goddess of wisdom, Saraswati. In order to have all-round success in life, believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine femininity, hence the nine nights of worship.

In reality, all these three qualities co-exist and we have to skillfully get past them. These nine days are a reminder for this. It is the awakening of the Divinity – that quality of the Mother Divine which does not negate anything, yet nurtures the good qualities. Supporting the positivity in us and skillfully removing the negativity can be learnt by invoking and awakening the Divinity within us. Irrespective of the qualities of a child, the mother always loves the child; same is with the Mother Divine. This all-inclusive power supports us and brings out the divine quality in us. This can happen only when we do regular sadhana. Navratri or Navadurga Parva happens to be the most auspicious and pious period of Spiritual sadhana for worship of Shakti (the sublime, ultimate, absolute creative energy) the Divine, conceptualized as the Mother Goddess-Durga, whose worship dates back to prehistoric times before the dawn of the Vedic age. These nine days serve as a reminder to be a good sadhak (seeker), as none of these virtues mentioned herein can manifest in a Sadhak without the grace of the Sadguru.

Signifiance of Navratri

The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Mother Durga. The dates of the festival are determined according to the Lunar Calendar. Lord Brahma mentions in the Markandeya Puraan to Rishi Markandey about the various incarnations of Divine mother, the first incarnation of Shakti was as Shailputri further incarnations of the Divine Mother were as: Brahmacharni, Chandra hanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri in that order. These nine manifestations of Shakti are worshipped as “Nava-Durga”. Navratri is also a period of introspection and purification, and is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting any new ventures. During this vowed religious observance, a pot is installed (ghatasthapana) at a sanctified place at home. A lamp is kept lit in the pot for nine days. The pot symbolizes the universe. The uninterrupted lit lamp is the medium through which we worship the effulgent Adishakti, i.e. Maa Durga.The festival of Dusshera is celebrated to worship the goddess Durga. The form of the goddess Durga is said to symbolise creative energy. This form of the goddess has nine aspects. Navratri therefore is dedicated to the worship of these aspects. Each form or aspect of the goddess has its own day dedicated to it. After worshipping the Divine mother for nine days & nine nights, the 10 day is known as Vijaydashmi, or the day to celebrate the complete victory of the good over the evil, the destruction of the Ravana in us and the resurrection of Lord Rama and his virtues within us.

So navratri is just not the festival to play garba and still continue the old habits of disrespecting women. This is the time to mend old ways, and pray to the Maa Durga for forgiveness and freedom from all the sins& wrongs done towards the mother earth and all the feminine energies around the world. Raas Garba is the mother’s way of celebrating the goodness and churning out the navaras within each human being. And this is the time, that the ever benevolent mother is in a virtuous mood of giving and granting boons to all her children. The Divine mother Earth has suffered enough and more tortures due to the indifferences and power struggle between her children in the name of various religious wars. All the women are still reeling under the clout of fear, from anti social elements and from demonic virtues who disrespect women and treat them only as an object of pleasure, and deprive them of their true rights. I strongly and firmly condemn all atrocities done towards all the mothers, sisters, wives & daughters across the world. I am a firm believer of Shakti ( the Divine mother ) ,and I teach my disciples through the Ancient path of #Kriyayoga , to respect both the energies equally. One can never attain supreme oneness, if the person doesn’t know to respect the masculine and feminine energy with equal stature. Since both the energies have to co-operate in unison for the sushumna to awaken and the spiritual experience to happen in the sadhak. In the year 2013, I celebrated navratri, in a unique way, by conducting “Self-Empowerment for women” programme free of cost across the nine days at various venues in and around Mumbai, personally training women, on various powerful and easy to use self- defence techniques, in the wake of the rising crime against women and also exploitation of women by self-styled godmen. In #Kriyayoga, we respect women as we consider the feminine energy equally important for ones spiritual progression as the male energy.

I sincerely urge every individual across the universe to pay utmost respect to the divine mother and treat women with the same pious ness, dignity &respect, as they treat, the goddess Durga for these nine days. Remember, that if the women were not there, the entire process of pro-creation would not have been there.

May the blessings of the Primordial Mother, shower everyone with abundance of prosperity,harmony,wisdom and unconditional motherly love, so that each of you spread this positive chain of “Unconditional love and Unconditional Forgiveness”, to restore World peace as a mark of respect to the ailing Mother Earth, who has always nurtured everyone with the Same “Unconditional Love and Unconditional Forgiveness”, in spite of all the destructions that were caused in this universe, due to human beings selfish and ulterior motives of supremacy.

Love everyone and be happy and most importantly be the reason for happiness to a second living being in this universe, if each of you follow this ,then everyone will be happy and content in this world and the universe will be a true heaven on earth.

This VijayDashmi , literally burn the Ravan ( demonic qualities) in you and pray to the Supreme mother for strength, to bring out the Virtues of Lord Ram in you.

Wishing all of Humanity a very Happy, Shubh & Samriddhi filled Ganesh Chaturthi.

This festival has been growing in size and scale each year, and it is a delight to celebrate this festive season. The atmosphere reverberates with the Jai Jaikar of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”. Lots of happiness and excitement flows during this festive season. Importantly, this festival unites people from all castes and creed under the Universal Religion of “HUMANITY”. The young and the old alike are all dancing with joy, and everyone eagerly awaits the arrival of the 11 day Ganeshotsav with eagerness and excitement.

Let us understand the various facets of Lord Ganesha& Ganesh Chaturthi .

Birth of Lord Ganesha: Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, created Ganesha out of mal (dirt), from her body while having a bath and breathed life into the figure. She then gave him the task of guarding her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned, and as Ganesha didn’t know him, didn’t allow him to enter. After the combat between Ganesha and Shiva ganas, an angered Lord Shiva finally severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged and Shiva then promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North, but they found only the head of an elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child’s body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Lord of the Ganas). Ganesha was created by Shiva and Parvati at the request of the Deva’s to be a vighnakarta (obstacle-creator) in the path of asuras (demonic beings), and a vighnaharta (obstacle-averter) to help the Deva’s.

Significance of Lord Ganesha& Ganesh Chaturthi: ‘Ga’ symbolizes Buddhi (intellect), ‘Na’ stands for Vignyan (wisdom). So, Ganapati is the master of Buddhi and Vijnan. The universe is sustained by Ganas (gods) and Ganapati is their master. In this world, everybody has a master, but Ganapati has none. He is a master by himself. This is the birthday of the Master of Masters. Lord Ganesh is always worshipped first for anything and everything, and his blessings are invoked before any auspicious thing. Lord Ganesha is eternal and appeared even before the creation of nature (prakriti) and consciousness (purush), which denotes he appeared even before the process of creation. Lord Ganesha was created by Aadi Shakti, the primordial power of god almighty, without the cause of male-female principle. Being born out of the Primordial Mother, He is with her all the times and in the Mooladhara Chakra in the human being. He is the embodiment of innocence, purity, and chastity in creation. He is worshipped as the lord of beginnings and as the lord of removing obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the god of intellect and wisdom. Lord Ganesha is blessed with the power of trinity (Creation, Manifestation & Destruction Powers).Lord Ganesha is beyond the 3 ‘GUNAS’, (Satva: Pure, Rajas: Activating & Tamas: Dull), he is beyond the 3 Bodies (Gross, Subtle & Causal),he is beyond 3 State of Time (Past, Present & Future),he is beyond 3 states of Being (Awake, dream & Deep Sleep),he resides in the “MOOLADHARA” CHAKRA. All our actions fall under one of the two categories: material or spiritual. As we know Lord Ganesha rules the ‘Mooladhara chakra’ of our body, which is the interface between the material and the spiritual worlds. Lord Ganesha controls both these worlds. He is the one who gives the material enjoyments in this world and He is the one who liberates us from the endless cycle of birth and death. Our material life as well as our spiritual journey starts from this chakra which is controlled by Lord Ganesha. It is He who prepares the Kundalini energy, when it is time to awaken and to reach nirgun nirakar swaroop (Brahman). Hence, to complete our life cycle without any obstacles, we need the blessings of Lord Ganesha. He is the one who gets rid of all the obstacles from our lives, that is why we worship Lord Ganesha before beginning any important work/task.

Historical Significance of Ganesh Chaturthi: Historical records reveal that Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations were initiated in Maharashtra by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great Maratha ruler, to promote culture and nationalism. And it had continued ever since then. There are also references in history to similar celebrations during Peshwa times. It is believed that Lord Ganesha was the family deity of the Peshwas. After the end of Peshwa rule, Ganesh Chaturthi remained a family affair in Maharashtra from the period of 1818 to 1892. It was around 1893, when Lokmanya Tilak, brought back the tradition of Ganesh Chaturthi and reshaped the annual Ganesh festival from private family celebrations into the grand public event that it is today. Lokmanya tilak saw how Lord Ganesha was worshipped by all class of the society, being a visionary, Tilak realized the cultural importance of this deity and popularized Ganesha Chaturthi as a National Festival “to bridge the gap between Hindus and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them”. He knew that India couldn’t fight her rulers until she solved the differences within her own. Hence, to unite all social classes Tilak chose Ganesha as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule because of the wide appeal as “The god for everyman”. Tilak began to organize the Ganeshotsav as a social and religious function. He was the first to put in large public images of Ganesha in pavilions and establish the tradition of their immersion on the 10th day. The festival facilitated community participation and involvement in the form of learned discourses, dance dramas, poetry recital, musical concerts, debates, etc. It served as a meeting place for common people of all castes and communities, at a time when all social and political gatherings were forbidden by the British Empire for fear of conspiracies to be hatched against them.

Significance of Lord Ganesha’s various Body parts:

Elephant trunk: An elephant’s trunk is not used to make noise very often. But when it does – the noise is clear, loud and thundering. In the same way it is the quality of a good leader not to waste words unnecessarily but to ensure that whatever is said should be clear, well thought out and profound.

One broken tusk, one large tusk: Ganesh is shown as having one broken tusk, and one full tusk. It is said that the short tusk represents the intellect, whereas the full tusk represents shraddha (faith). The intellect is limited. Beyond the point of intellect, it is our faith that we have to rely on. Faith does not necessarily imply a religious belief. It is a conviction of our heart, a conviction in the righteousness of a cause, to go beyond our usual set boundaries. This is particularly relevant when undertaking new endeavors, hence the worship of Ganesh at this time in particular.

Large ears: Large ears relate to listening. Listening attentively to all that is going on around us, as well as to the people in our lives, is an important quality. One of the main problems in interpersonal relations is that we have poor listening abilities, and hence we don’t listen to understand.

One foot on the floor, one foot raised: This represents the Vedic teaching that an individual should live life with “one foot in the material world and one foot beyond the world”. This means, our worldly duties should be given due care and attention, but we should also cultivate a spiritual dimension to our lives which remains detached from the ups and downs of daily life. It is unbalanced living if we set all our attention to this fleeting, impermanent world, without learning to live in deeper harmony with the eternal truths of existence. It is also impartial living, if we just pursue transcendental spirituality with no heed to worldly duties and needs. A balance must be struck where spirituality enriches rather than hinders worldly pursuits. Ganesha symbolizes this balance, where spirituality and worldly duties are beautifully harmonized.

Mouse as companion: Ganpati is also called Mooshika Vahana (one who has a mouse as his vehicle).You may wonder how a small mooshik can carry on its back a hefty personality like Ganesha. Here mooshika symbolizes the darkness of ignorance because it is in darkness that the mouse moves about. Hence, as “Mooshika Vahana” he subdues ignorance and dispels darkness. The mouse is symbolic of the nature of our thoughts, because our thoughts (just like the mouse) are hard to control, and always on the move from one place to another. It is the ability to control our thoughts, keeping them at one point, which is being symbolized here. Vinayak symbolizes the qualities of a true leader in all aspects. “Viyate Nayake Iti Vinayak” meaning, He is a master unto Himself. In this world Vinayak is worshipped by many. However, Vinayak does not worship anyone as He has no master above Him.

So on this pious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, I urge everyone to reflect upon the various facets of everyone’s loving and dearest deity, Lord Ganesha. And with full faith, be united, irrespective of one’s religious orientation, to protect humanity and nurture love and happiness. This is the true Prasad, the Modak, of the lord, for everyone, since the Presiding Deity, Lord Ganesha, is the Lord of auspiciousness, new beginnings, prosperity and Happiness. Celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi with all these qualities of the lord imbibed in you, and on the 11th day, when Ganesha leaves, and we take him for immersion, remember to immerse all feelings of hatred, grudge, anger, bitterness and all the negative emotions stored in each of you, and retain the strong positive vibrations of the 11 days of fun, happiness, love and joy. Bring out the bhakti ras in you, and celebrate the happiness of letting go of all the unwanted negativity, that is stored in you, unto the feet of the “Lord of Good things & prosperity” .Along with the daily aarti, pray for the world to be free from hatred and seek his blessings for UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, for Humanity.

Krishna Janmashtami, falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapad (August-September), signifying the birth of Lord Krishna, the eternal ocean of Cosmic Love. Krishna represents Brahman or God consciousnesses. Krishna avatar is synonymous with self-realization. Normally desires and negative thoughts mask our consciousness with ignorance. The journey to self-realization involves removal or shedding of this ignorance which can only be done by the eight spiritual principles as described in the Ashtang Yoga Sutras by Rishi Patanjali. These are as follows:

Yama (self control)

Niyama (self-discipline),

Asana (bodily postures)

Pranayam (control of breath)

Pratyahara (Focused Inwards),

Dharana (Single pointedness)

Dhyana (contemplation)

Samadhi (self-realization).

Every aspect coinciding with the birth of the great Lord Krishna has a deeply embedded meaning with our body, mind & soul. Ignorance is symbolized by a “PRISON”, which represents darkness; narrow-minded approach (small entry gate to the prison) and limitedness to everything (small room). The chain in the prison means the bondages to lust, greed, desires and ego. Birth of Krishna in the prison means ‘Self-realization out of ignorance’. It can only be acquired by adhering to the eight principles of Ashtang Yoga with Tapas (Abhyas) or hard work. Krishna was born as the eighth child of Devaki, which symbolizes tapas of eight limbs of yoga. The self-realization can only occur after the seven chakras are successfully negotiated and the mind gets purified in the process. In the state of Samadhi, there is spontaneous birth of the self. In this state (Sama = equal; dhi – intelligence) one controls equality and balances oneself between the good and the bad. The significance is that, as Krishna was born, the chains that bound his father fell off; the doors that had been bolted flew open and the prison guards immediately went into sleep. And his father, Vasudev, took Krishna and went to Gokul, by placing Krishna in a basket and walking across the Yamuna river, where at the same time Yashodha, consort of Nanda, had given birth to a female child. The ‘Chains’ here symbolizes the bondage to the external world through the five senses. A self realized person is free of these bondages. The “Opening of prison gates” symbolizes control over lust, desire, greed and attachments. “Sleeping of the guards” symbolizes, that in the state of self-realization, one is totally cut off from the outer world. Everything else perishes and only oneness exists. The thunderstorm, the rain, and the fire, all represent the internal turmoil of uncontrolled desires and hatred. The moment Krishna’s feet touched the turbulent waters, everything settles. The spiritual lesson is that by turning inwards and towards one’s pure consciousness, any turbulent state of mind can be controlled. While acquiring all this, one must be able to control the ego and the egocentric desires. Controlling the ego is depicted as a snake sitting over the basket and guarding Lord Krishna who is the epitome of joy, the quintessence of simplicity and the very source of pure love. Our mind is slippery like butter and the symbolic meaning of Krishna stealing butter, denotes Lord Krishna entering into our minds, and stealing away all the negative elements, leaving us with pure Krishna consciousness, which is the eternal joy and cosmic bliss, which we all yearn to experience for births together. Inner joy sprouts in us when the senses are directed inwards. Lord Krishna is the ocean of eternal bliss, his soul-stirring Leelas, which are considered to be wonder of wonders, symbolizes the waves of the ocean. The enchanting music of his flute captivates the minds of his devotees. His unequalled and unsurpassed wealth of beauty amazes the animate and the inanimate beings. He adorns his friends with his incomparable love. Devotion is the only means of attaining Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna, through his teachings of the ancient Science of Kriya yoga, led Arjuna from the front and guided him through all the travails on the battle of Kurukshetra. Janmashtami holds high significance in the life of Kriyayogi’s and Sadhaks who are practitioners, of this pious path of Spiritual awakening. Kriya yoga is a bold and powerful path for all aspiring individuals irrespective of their caste, creed or religious orientation . Kriya yoga is the fastest and powerful path to break free from the throes of negativity and merge yourself with universal consciousness, because it is a bold path of Karma yoga. Krishna epitomizes Bhakti and pure love, anything associated with Krishna has tremendous affinity towards Unconditional Love and happiness, since Krishna is the ruler of the heart chakra, the seat of Unconditional Love. When a sadhak transcends the barriers of the body consciousness and merges with the Cosmic consciousness, he experiences this divine love, the Krishna consciousness. Coinciding with Krishna Janmashtami is the most popular of games which was played by the little and natkhat Kanhaiya, “DAHI HANDI”. Dahi Handi though portrays the playful and adoringly mischievous attitude of Krishna; it actually carries a profound and deep meaning behind it. The Handi here, represents the ego or the sense of the body & mind, that dangles in the grasp of Society and relationships. The butter or Dahi which forms the content is embodied as the essence, or the being. The Lord breaks the Handi, or the ego to release the accumulated contents, from the bindings of the Sansara. His eagerness to savor it reveals the bliss, which one enjoys on realizing the true essence or the true self. It can also be taken as the Lord’s instruction to break the body mind complex, which is portrayed as the Handi to attain true bliss. However, to break the illusion of the body & mind is not an easy task, as one will have to focus steadfastly on realizing the ultimate, with true devotion or bhakti ras. Distractions in and around one’s surroundings, disturbs one from attaining the eternal truth. However single pointed focus and devotion to the Lord will ultimately lead one to the ultimate goal.

I bless all of humanity with the happiness and joy of experiencing the Krishna consciousness, and urge all of humanity , to tide over all the evils ,and the demons in oneself and the society, by uniting everyone under the Govardhan parvat of “Unconditional Love & Unconditional Forgiveness”. I bless all of humanity to invoke the Krishna in you, and be the harbinger of Love and happiness everywhere. Remember, Krishna consciousness can be easily awakened, but only with pure faith, bhakti, and Love, never by intellectual analysis.

So come one, come all,

Rejoice, celebrate, be happy and make others happy. Spread Love ,Harmony, Peace everywhere ,let us unitedly be a strong force to salvage negativity and unite the world with the chain of LOVE.

It is a great moment of joy for humanity, on the whole, towards the worldwide recognition received for the ancient Indian science of Yoga. Celebrating yoga day all over the world as World Yoga Day or International Day of Yoga on 21st of June every year was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on 11th of December in 2014. The declaration was done after the call by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to the United Nations General Assembly on 27th of September in 2014 during his address to the UN General Assembly. He call the United Nations General Assembly for adopting 21st of June as an International Yoga Day to get all the benefits of yoga for the people all around the world.Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness. Yoga in India is considered to be around 5,000 year old mental, physical and spiritual practice. Yoga originated in India in ancient time when people were used to meditating for transforming their body&mind. There are multiple benefits of Yoga for all human being if it is practiced on daily basis in the early morning. The reason why 21st of June is earmarked for celebrating the International Yoga Day is because, this is the longest day in Northern Hemisphere regions. The solar energy is at the peak on this day and maximum benefits can be derived from the practice of various Yoga’s on this day.

To derive the maximum benefits from Lord Sun, who is the source of life on this entire planet earth, I have asked all my Disciples across all the 89 centre’s, around the world of “Sadguru Mangeshda Kriya Yoga Foundation” to do as per the capacity, Suryanamaskar’s daily, and on the pious day of 21st June.2015,all my disciples and myself will collectively complete 100008 suryanamaskar’s, as a mark of Gratitude to the almighty Sun, and to celebrate International Yoga Day in a very Unique and innovative way.

The time is now coming for the world and entire Humanity to get united by a single bond. The bond of ” Unconditional Love&Unconditional Forgiveness”.There have been centuries of Hatred and conflicts in the universe, as a result of Human Beings selfish interests, and the repercussions of such ulterior motives have been felt& Experienced by Entire Humanity, all over the world.

Lets us all collectively create a Healthy and bright future ahead, and adopt healthy, time-tested, age old science of Yoga, to keep our self physically & mentally Fit, which in turn keeps our nation fit and healthy, and empowers the younger generation, to lead a more healthy and enriched life.

We all have one life to live, lets enrich the quality of our life as well as our surroundings.

May there be peace ,harmony and Good health all over the Universe, and may the ancient wisdom of Yoga spread to each and every corner of the world, uniting mankind, irrespective of their religion, cast and creed.

My best wishes to our P.M- Shri. Narendra Modiji, for initiating this recognition, of our Ancient science of Yoga, at the U.N .General Assembly, and all the 170 countries who voiced their Unconditional support in acknowledging to observe 21st June, as International Yoga Day.

Myself and my “Sadguru Mangeshda Kriya Yoga Foundation”, wholeheartedly, support this cause,and pledge our 100% support from across the 89 centres around the world.

The very thought of this concept originated in my mind, during my visit to the SMKYF UAE centre in 2013, when I had interacted with a lot of parents and children over there, I had observed, that there is a prominent gap between the parent and child relationship, and these children are being easily way led, to vices, from an adolescent age. These children were the vulnerable and easy target for the multitude of vices and the wrong options available in the society. I thought about it, and found that the scenario is the same across the world, in today’s hi-tech gadget world, and highest dependence on social media like whatsapp, face book etc. thus was born the concept of KRIYA YOGA GURUKUL, which stressed upon developing the core values of Righteousness in an individual from a young age, so that the youth is empowered with the wisdom to counter any negative attractions, and choose the best options for their lives.

Keeping this in mind, Kriya Yoga Gurukul workshop was launched in UAE in November 2014, and the programme was an instant hit and what started as a single programme, was replicated at many places in UAE,and is now a hugely demanded workshop, because the single objective of this workshop, was to develop, nurture and bring out the best in each and every child, making them responsible , at the same time, polishing their hidden talents and helping them rediscover themselves and enjoy their new found positive transformation with a long lasting effect. This workshop also brings about an open platform, for a heart to heart dialogue between the very busy parents and their love starved children. Thereby sealing the strong bond between the parent and the child with LOVE.

Due to the growing popularity of this workshop and continuous demand from the organizers in India, I decided for the 1st maiden launch of this internationally acclaimed KRIYA YOGA GURUKUL workshop in India, from 4th to 8th May 2015,which was scheduled to kick start from Bandra-Mumbai.

It was a great feeling for me to conduct this workshop in India, and to my surprise, when I reached the venue- Mahatma Gandhi High School at Bandra east, it was houseful, for the maiden workshop. All eager parents and the children were waiting eagerly to hear me and understand what is in store for them.

After my initial brief to all the parents and the children, the parents left the venue, leaving me and the participants together for the events to unfold. I started the workshop with a very strong and impactful punchline,”YES I CAN, YES WE CAN “, that I wanted each participant to firmly register in their mind, because it was to have a lasting impact in their mind, for their personal transformation

It was a beautiful workshop with 3 different courses covering the entire gamut of a person’s overall development. It covered Personality Development, Arts And Craft, and Dance For Health And Fitness.

Each of the participants started with a lot of apprehensions, but as the first day unfolded, it was a delight to see all the participants easily opening up and we became good friends, there were multitude of contents like, quizzes, yogic techniques for enhancing concentration, sharpening the brain, and reflexes, understanding the human body’s endocrine system, talent shows, impromptu skits to enhance working in groups, the arts and craft workshop brought about the creative side of all the participants, they learned how to make beautiful artifacts, clay and pottery workshop, painting, sketching, use of colours , making paper bags from waste materials, photography workshop and much more. the dance for health and fitness workshop, was a very interesting one for me personally, since there were a lot of participants, who have never danced in their entire life.this was even more better for me, because,these participants were most receptive and didn’t carry any baggage in their mind,and were easily mouldable . It was complete fun for 5 days and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the importance of various dance moves,and how to burn maximum calories and increase metabolism, to stay fit and healthy.

I enjoyed every moment wholeheartedly in these 5 days,conducting 3 separate workshops for 4 hours each, and in the end bringing about the maximum smiles on the faces of all the participants,ranging from 4 yrs to 70 yr old.

Every day,each workshop, I gave away prizes for the best participant for the day,and at the end of the 5 day,workshop,in the grand finale, I gave the Best Of All Award to the participant of each and every course. This was done to motivate the participants and for them to cherish this wonderful memories of the last 5 days.

I appreciate the dedicated efforts of my SMKYF team of volunteers who were relentlessly doing the running around,to make arrangements for the comfort of each and every participant.

It was a great team work by my SMKYF organizers for organizing the first maiden workshop at Bandra -Mumbai, followed by the second one at Friends Academy, Mulund west,from 18th to 22nd may.15.

Kudos to everyone, and best wishes to each and every participant,for a bright and wonderful future ahead in life.May you be a great source of motivation and inspiration to all those who come in contact with you.